eh if we're coming off of a second obama pres + the gop is still in chaos + the economy is okay + there isn't another strong dem candidate, it might be too tempting to resist. I'm not sure what I'd rate the chances of all of those things being true. but she prob isn't willing to go through a brutal fight.

The odds are probably low, but I can see where Hillary might run in 2016. The arguments against are numerous and obvious, starting with age and her public statements, but I think she has this core conviction that she was going to be the first female president, and that's a hard thing to let go of. Unless she has--maybe a controversy-free term as SOS, with high favorability, has softened that. She came perilously close to burning all her bridges in 2008, but she's well past all that; I'm sure her candidacy would be very well received. Whether Obama wins or loses would factor in. Not sure which would be better from her vantage point--it's hard for a party to win three in a row, so a loss would probably be better. Can't see Biden running in a million years.

and yeah it is hard to win three in a row, but the GOP is imploding in such a spectacular manner, without Jeb in the picture it's hard to see where a galvanizing, unifying figure is going to come from in the next 4 years.

Now that the nomination's basically done with, Mitt will have to step up his gaffe-of-the-day strategy to keep this interesting--bigger gaffes, better gaffes, more of them. He--his campaign--got off to an excellent start yesterday. But Obama's side should know enough to sit back and let things like the Etch-a-Sketch story take care of themselves. (Yesterday they jumped in.) They're kind of vulnerable on that point.

The popular caricature of Biden as either a simpleton (late-night talk shows) or a party animal (The Onion) probably doesn't do him any favors were he to contemplate a presidential run in 2016. Also he would be (slightly) older than Dole was in '96.

xp Don't most presidential hopefuls have a keen sense of their potential historical significance and - in order to keep them going through the long, brutal slog - a certain sense that they are destined for it?

One huge difference between Hillary and Biden is that I imagine the core of Hillary's support still feels that 2008 was an unfinished story--if she ever did jump in, they'd be there. The core of Biden's support from 2008...well, I can't even finish that sentence.

ION, I am hoping that the Romney team are actively trolling his rivals with this shit, and that they will exploit the standard Republican enthusiasm for / ineptitude with joeks to turn them further to the side of prop comics. Look for one of Mitt's staff to make an exploitable remark involving a flaming bag of dogpoop!

Is there any ladies in US Politics who could potentially run and win in the next 3 elections?

for President? Hillary's the only real national figure with the necessary party backing. As noted, Warren hasn't even won an election yet. I don't think Sebelius or Feinstein or whoever has any interest in being president.